


Harsh Truths

by Brumeier



Series: The Truth is Out There [3]
Category: Numb3rs (TV), Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - X-Files Fusion, Desert, It's For a Case, M/M, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fill, UFOs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29742507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for 100 Words on Weather prompt:Any, any, Harsh land and desert sand / The sun is just a dot / And a little bit of water goes a long way / Cause it's hot (Blue Oyster Cult)In which Agents Sheppard and McKay are in the desert looking for a possible crashed alien spaceship.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: The Truth is Out There [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108604
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2021





	Harsh Truths

“Why can’t we ever go somewhere nice and temperate, like Vancouver?” Rodney complained. “If you find another mummy, I’m going to strangle you.”

“We’re not here for mummies,” John said cheerfully.

The Jeep they’d rented bounced along the dry desert floor. If there was a path, Rodney couldn’t see it. John had to steer them around cactus and mesquite trees and scrubby bushes. If it hadn’t already broken one hundred degrees, it would get there soon. Hopefully their water supply would hold out.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Rodney accused. He’d have wagged a finger at John as well, but he was holding on to the Jeep for dear life.

“Nice day for a drive,” John said pleasantly, and flashed a grin. “How close are we?”

Rodney checked the GPS. “Quarter of a mile, south southeast.”

“Roger that.”

Finally they reached the site John had insisted on taking them to. It didn’t look like much – more dirt, more cactus, more nothing – but John had an avid expression on his face that Rodney had come to hate.

“This is the area where they said it came down.”

“Right. The trustworthy trio in the metaphorical tin foil hats.”

One of John’s dubious sources of intel was the group that called themselves the Lone Gunmen. They were conspiracy nutjobs that also happened to be brilliant hackers, tech engineers, and data analysts.

“You saw the footage,” John said.

“The footage was hardly definitive.”

John gave him a look. “Weather balloon?”

“Don’t be stupid.”

John wandered off, looking for wreckage. Rodney trailed along behind, watching John.

After the disastrous case in Vegas, it had taken John a while to get his mojo back. On the one hand, Rodney was glad he was back to his old self. On the other hand, they were back hunting for aliens and that was always a dicey road for John to go down.

John’s childlike belief in the unbelievable was endearing, in a way. Or maybe that was just Rodney’s inconvenient feelings rising to the surface again. He didn’t want John to succumb to the harsh truths of the world. He wanted John to keep believing, because someone had to.

“Couldn’t we have come out here in the morning?” Rodney complained. “Or later in the day? It’s like the surface of the sun right now.”

They weren’t wearing their fed suits, which was a blessing in the oppressive heat. John had talked him into cargo pants, which Rodney was certain he looked ridiculous in, and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt as protection from the sun. Rodney had made judicious use of sunblock and added a wide-brimmed hat; he had no interest in getting skin cancer. John wore aviator shades and looked sexy as hell regardless of the cargo pants. 

Their badges and guns, worn in plain sight, were the only outward signs they were federal agents.

They’d wandered out of sight of the Jeep when John held his fist up. When Rodney joined him, John gestured at a building in the distance. It was surrounded by a chain-link fence.

“Who the hell lives out in the middle of the desert?” Rodney hissed.

“I don’t know, but I bet he saw the crash.”

“Wonderful. I was hoping we’d get to interview a potentially hostile survivalist today.”

John patted Rodney on the shoulder. “Don’t I take you to all the best places?”

“This is a wild goose chase, Sheppard. I haven’t seen a single sign of anything crash landing out here, have you?”

“It might not be obvious until we’re right on top of it.”

They walked back to the Jeep, only to find someone already there, leaning against it with his arms crossed and an inscrutable expression on his face.

“Edgerton,” John said. “What brings you to our little slice of paradise?”

“Sheppard. McKay.” Edgerton pushed off the Jeep. He was all lean muscle and sun-browned skin, looking fresh as a daisy despite the oven-like temperatures. “How’s the basement treating you?”

“Same as always,” John replied. “What’s the agency’s top sniper doing way out here?”

“Making sure you don’t wander into my op.”

“You have eyes on the house?” Rodney asked. “Is this a Unabomber situation? Because getting blown up would just be the capper to my day.”

“It’s not aliens,” Edgerton replied dryly. “A meteorite landed near here a couple nights ago. My guy scooped it up to sell on ebay.”

Rodney gave John a look that hopefully expressed his exasperation at having wasted a day traversing the desert.

“I’d like to see it,” John said.

“Then I suggest you get your bid in,” Edgerton replied. “You’re not getting near my guy.”

It was no secret how Edgerton felt about the X-files, which was a common sentiment in the FBI. John was up front about his crazy ideas regarding aliens, monsters, and supernatural activity. The fact that there was some truth to John’s assertions – Rodney had been partnered with him long enough to have seen some things – hardly seemed to matter.

Rodney left the two alpha males to glare at each other. He pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler, which didn’t have much ice left in it. He took a long swallow, then splashed some on his face. Fuck the desert and fuck the dry heat.

“Let’s go, McKay,” John said tersely. 

“Back to the hotel?” Rodney asked hopefully.

“No hard feelings, boys.” Edgerton pulled off his sunglasses. “On your way out of town, you might want to stop at the Outer Limits bar. Could be something of interest for the basement files.”

“Right. I’m sure there is,” Rodney said. “What is it? Alien in a jar? Ray gun?”

Edgerton smirked. “Maybe. At the very least, stay for lunch. Their cheeseburgers are out of this world.”

“Hilarious,” Rodney said. “We’ve got better things to do.”

“Buckle up, McKay,” John replied, the set to his jaw saying he’d already accepted the other agent’s stupid challenge.

As they pulled away, Rodney started plotting his revenge against Ian Edgerton.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** I recently finished a rewatch of _Numb3rs_ , which I love, and had forgotten all about Edgerton until he popped up. He was such a fun recurring character on the show. Honestly, I’ll watch Lou Diamond Philips in anything. (His guest spot on _Psych_ was hilarious!) I thought it would be fun to toss him into the mix with my SGA version of Mulder and Scully.


End file.
